New Reviews by Title: U-Z

Alison McKenna and Gary Furlong bring all the angst of an enemies-to-lovers story to this retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" inspired by Irish folklore. In this version, the beast is trapped inside the body of a shape-shifting beauty named Rozlyn due to a curse spanning three centuries. When the charismatic Jamie comes to win her heart, Rozlyn suspects more is afoot. And she's... Read More

Doris Kearns Goodwin's voice is well known from TV appearances; not surprisingly, her narration comes across as thoughtful and familiar. Bryan Cranston's role is minimal. The use of snippets of speeches from John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Robert Kennedy add to the authenticity of the presentation. This is a kind of oral history of the 1960s told through the unique lens of... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice Simon Vance navigates former double agent/journalist John Russell through his eighth adventure. It's the bad old days of the 1950s. The Cold War is heating up, Russia and the U.S. are at loggerheads in postwar Berlin, McCarthy's witch hunt is in full swing in America, and espionage is rampant. Russell's partner, successful TV actress Effi Koenen, is to be... Read More

Dr. Joy Buolamwini carefully narrates this hybrid memoir detailing her groundbreaking research on AI software discrimination. Labeling the phenomenon she uncovered as "the coded gaze," she explains how predominantly white male computer programmers have subconsciously established bias in algorithmic decision making. As an activist, Buolamwini warns that some systems claim they... Read More

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, portrayed by January LaVoy, works side by side with her niece, Secret Service Agent Lucy Farinelli, to solve the murders of two suspected Russian spies. At a remote crime scene in the woods, an investigator casts an unusual oversized footprint and sends it to the lab for evaluation in secret. LaVoy's warm yet businesslike delivery... Read More

Gabriel Garcia Márquez's last novel, although far from his best, deserves a better reading than it gets in this audio version. Catalina Sandino Moreno's English pronunciation is decidedly imperfect. A Spanish accent is not necessarily a problem with a Latin American novel, but an accent that interferes with our understanding of the text is not ideal. Moreno's phrasing also... Read More

Gary Hoffman masterfully narrates this historical thriller based on a true crime in Leesburg, Virginia, in 1872. Emily Lloyd, a young widow considered odd even by her friends, is charged with murdering her four children, her husband, and her aunt. In a town full of jealous wives and mysterious neighbors, everyone is already convinced of Mrs. Lloyd's guilt--except Powell... Read More

Anthony Rey Perez has just the right tone for this satirical debut novel, especially as he aptly mimics the protagonist's self-justifying voice and truth twisting. Perez's pace moves the story forward--no matter the circumstance. He sounds just like the smart Puerto Rican kid from the Bronx featured in the story. Javi Perez succeeds until he doesn't by playing the victim... Read More

This is the latest of the classic works by Joseph Conrad ably narrated by David Horovitch. This 1915 work, relatively unknown, concerns a drifter named Axel Heyst who runs a coal company on a remote island in the Malay Archipelago and his relationship with an English girl. He saves her from her employer, and then she saves Heyst from himself. There is quite a bit of... Read More

In this sequel to CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, Cara Kennedy, compellingly portrayed by Aspen Vincent, is a smart detective from Anchorage who is adjusting to her new life after the deaths of her husband and son while hiking. Now she learns that what was determined to be an accident may have been murder. Blaire Chandler energetically takes on the role of Ellie, a hard-boiled character... Read More

Darren Eliker provides an excellent narration of this complex and highly creative installment of the Venery series. Eliker's delivery allows listeners to become immersed in the adventures of Pelippé Trueblood and Fen il-Kheir, a fantastical kheiron, a creature that can shift between being a man and a horse. Each character and species has a distinguishable sound. The story... Read More

Will Watt expertly performs the second in the Spires series. A re-release of a previously published book, this audiobook includes additional stories and background materials featuring Edwin; his ex, Marius; and their new loves. As a flood hits his Oxford neighborhood, Edwin meets Adam, the ginger civil engineer who is trying to lessen the impending damage on the community.... Read More

Narrators Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone take listeners into the secret society of the Oakmont Elite in this dark collegiate romance. Maybell Jacobs is a quiet and awkward wallflower until she has a chance encounter with the intimidating, rich Drew Marshall. For an opportunity to win some much-needed money, Maybell agrees to take part in a wicked tradition, The Hunt, in which she... Read More

Middle-grade listeners who know narrator Ramón de Ocampo as Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley will be stunned by his display of versatility in this horror tale set in rainy New Rotterdam, a vortex of supernatural weirdness. When newcomer Emrys and two friends find a book with an eye that blinks and that talks, they're ushered into a fight against forces of evil. De Ocampo carries... Read More

January LaVoy and Michael Crouch perform this historical novel with a supernatural twist. LaVoy delivers the perspective of Laura, a nurse who has recently returned from a WWI battlefield to her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Crouch narrates the viewpoint of Laura's brother, Freddie, a young soldier who has gone missing in the cold, wet trenches of Belgium. LaVoy conveys all of... Read More

Actor Lili Taylor brings a wry warmth to her narration of Campbell's latest, set in Michigan's Great Massasauga Swamp, where a family contends with secrets and intergenerational trauma. Taylor portrays imperious Hermine Zook, who is raising her 11-year-old granddaughter, Dorothy, nicknamed Donkey, on a secluded island in the middle of the swamp. When tragedy strikes, Donkey's... Read More

Longtime television and radio broadcaster Ray Suarez's professional voice, ease of delivery, and acute sense of story are a pleasure to listen to. His intimate performance gives the many oral histories and profiles in this audiobook a cumulative power. An empathetic reporter, Suarez has spent years gathering the material for this timely appreciation of immigrants at this... Read More

In this middle-grade novel set in 1985, Stevie is on summer tour with a lip-syncing group. Jorjeana Marie is immediately likable as the youthful narrator of Stevie's first-person account. Marie shows Stevie's many sides with ease--stumbling and nervous around her crush, decisive and assured when her brother's epilepsy becomes an issue, and, finally, happily confident after a... Read More

Lindsey Dorcus depicts a teen romance between a newspaper nerd and a volleyball jock. When Jordan Elliott is given the volleyball beat for her school newspaper, she's devastated--not least because her nemesis, Mackenzie West, is captain of the volleyball team. Dorcus captures all the conflicting feelings that Jordan has about her unwanted assignment and about working closely... Read More

Xe Sands narrates this meditative collection of essays on life and preserving our threatened planet. Provocative yet tender, each free- flowing essay provides a glimpse of Millet's interconnected world. Personal anecdotes are juxtaposed with deep pondering about humanity's role in climate change. Expertly pairing animal facts with thoughtful observations of the human world,... Read More

Rosa Escoda's narration of this slice-of-life audiobook is like being wrapped in a blanket still warm from the dryer. Frustrated by her indifferent marriage and burned-out by her competitive career, Yeongju leaves both behind to open a bookstore that becomes a refuge to those seeking peace and renewal. Escoda's brisk pace and gentle tone carry listeners along as Yeongju... Read More

Inspired by a true event--the 1911 murder of muckraking writer David Graham Phillips--this well-researched mystery casts author Edith Wharton as a reluctant detective probing the death and life of a man she abhorred. Kitty Hendrix performs in a low-register breathy voice that emphasizes Wharton's mix of high-society manners and fierce determination. Her moderate pace allows... Read More

Tiffany Morgan narrates this novel set during the Civil War in rural North Carolina. Fifteen-year-old Henry McBride steals off to enlist, and his mother, Joetta, sends his father, Ennis, off to bring him home. Joetta's refusal to support either side makes her a target in her community, especially after she performs a daring act of kindness. Morgan's measured cadence brings the... Read More

Isabella Star LaBlanc maintains a steady, direct approach in her narration of this audiobook, which blends mystery, suspense, and family drama. She takes listeners to Backravel, Arizona, a mysterious place that once held sway over Beck's late mother. Now Beck and her sister, Riley, go there seeking answers about their mom. LaBlanc's measured approach is not as effective as it... Read More

Author Kao Kalia Yang's soft Hmong-accented voice opens this forthright and heartrending refugee story with the birth of her own children. She then moves on to chronicle family history from her mother Tswb's (pronounced "Chew") point of view. Yang narrates the introductory and concluding elements of the story herself, with Pamela Xiong picking up the body of the narrative,... Read More

Joshua Riley delivers a suspenseful narration of this tale of betrayal, icebound ships, and cannibalism. Explorer William Day returned from a trip to the Arctic in disgrace after his men survived by eating their deceased comrades. Thirteen years later, Day's former second-in command, Jesse Stevens, has gone missing, and Stevens's wife, a spirit-medium, needs Day's help to find... Read More

Narrator Aoife McMahon transports listeners to 1960s Dublin, where a young journalist, Nicoletta Sarto, strives to be successful in a profession dominated by men. When Nicoletta covers a story about bones being found in a garden, she finds herself investigating a 25-year-old mystery with connections to her. McMahon is the perfect narrator for this story, especially as she... Read More

Ray Porter's straightforward presentation highlights Schaller and Waldman's observations on why white voters in rural America have been won over by candidates whose political actions oppose the voters' best interests. The authors detail ways that our system gives an inordinate advantage to these rural voters, who are vastly smaller in number than their urban counterparts.... Read More

Paige McKinney offers a lively delivery of Shannon Reed's musings on her lifelong love of books. Listeners will quickly note that what's offered is an accounting of why the author reads--for her amusement, edification, and comfort. Listeners will likely find common ground, and those who share Reed's sense of humor will be amused. Sometimes Reed's background as a humor writer... Read More

Of the several audiobooks about British sea explorer James Cook, this is one of the most memorable. Peter Noble is a powerful narrator, and he weds himself to this action-packed story with deep empathy and understanding. As the Revolutionary War unfolded on the east side of the North American continent, Cook explored the west, searching in vain for a Northwest Passage. Along... Read More

Narrators Angus King, Katy Townsend, and Tavia Gilbert excel at telling this powerful story. In 1878 Scotland, Samuel saves Hailey's brother, sparking a secret romance despite their class differences. When Hailey's father's financial downfall forces her family to emigrate to Seattle, Samuel sets off to find her. Against the backdrop of Washington Territory, their story... Read More

Natalie Naudus narrates a romance loosely inspired by the 1938 movie BRINGING UP BABY. Zoey Fong's life is guided by The Plan--that is, until she meets Davy Hsieh and he upends almost every aspect of it. Naudus's portrayal of Zoey highlights her focus and goal-oriented mindset, while her portrayal of Davy captures his easygoing nature. Both Zoey and Davy suffer from anxiety,... Read More

Alex Knox performs a thrilling adventure in which the discovery of a body on the Pacific Coast Trail is only the beginning of a hiker's quest for survival. Josh's marriage is on the rocks, so he takes to the lengthy PCT to get away and clear his mind. After he encounters grisly remains and a lack of concern about them from the authorities, he realizes he's not alone on the... Read More

Narrating parts of this personal growth audio, the author sounds sincere and easy to understand. Her humane interest in helping others navigate today's challenging workplaces creates a satisfying connection between listeners and the humble person behind this guidance. When Winsome Brown narrates her chapters, her polished cadences and pitch range convey the strength and... Read More

Cindy Kay narrates Dr. Fei-Fei Li's memoir of her life at the vanguard of artificial intelligence (AI) with an emotionally attuned ear. As a teenager, Li's family emigrated from China to the United States, a move that led to both opportunities and challenges. Kay sensitively conveys the author's confidence and vulnerability; her expansive delivery allows listeners to experience... Read More

Jamie Kern Lima shares her inspirational story and its important lessons as if she were your best friend telling it like it is. Her foundational message is that reaching your dreams is dependent upon your sense of what you deserve. Lima addresses the importance of assessing your sense of your own worthiness, identifying sources of self-doubt, and actively taking steps to turn... Read More

It's always informative, at the least, to hear a poet's own readings of his work--even if those are not always the most evocative or entertaining renditions. Michael Ondaatje's poetry is quite fine; an earlier collection won the Governor General's Literary Award (Canada). But his performance of these works, alas, does not do them justice. The poems return again and again to... Read More

Heads up, listeners: This audiobook runs over 29 hours. Listening feels like the equivalent of bingeing on a twelve-season streaming spy thriller. Harding's deep voice for the protagonist, Kane, a specialist who infiltrates extremely hostile areas, seems more mature than the character but sustains interest throughout. In efforts to address threats to the United States, Kane... Read More

Writer Morgan Parker, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, performs her latest work, a collection of essays that revolve around religious trauma, mental health, racial justice, and life as a single person in America. Her ideas are crafted with precision, and each piece in her collection feels intimate. Her performance further expresses her complex feelings, giving... Read More

Narrator Joel Leslie brings his usual charm to Cat Sebastian's latest historical romance. Eddie O'Leary, the star shortstop for the New York Robins, is not having a star season--he's deep in a record-breaking slump. Mark Bailey, a reporter for the NEW YORK CHRONICLE who is mourning the death of his partner, certainly doesn't want to write weekly columns about Eddie. Leslie... Read More

Alexis Floyd and Jenni Barber are perfect with their emotional narration of a story that examines the complexities of friendship and race. Cinnamon, a Black career counselor, has fought hard for the life she has and feels bad for wanting more. Daisy, a white 19-year-old, is broke, alone, and hiding her pregnancy. The two become unlikely friends. Cinnamon finds an abandoned... Read More

Four narrators deliver a YA epistolary novel set at the end of the nineteenth century. Sophia, Polly, and Tirzah were friends at school but have now gone their separate ways: Sophia to London, Polly to Liverpool, and Tirzah to Scotland. The narrators imbue the characters' ensuing letters with the emotions of each girl as she overcomes her personal difficulties. Dowd gives voice... Read More